Scope and Content Note

The writings by Edna O'Brien found in the collection include manuscripts of poems,
novels, short stories, essays, plays, and screenplays written between ca. 1953 and 1999.
Subseries 3.1 includes individual poems, both collected and uncollected. Many of the
poems were written under the pen name Dina Bryan. Subseries 3.2 includes manuscripts and
typescripts of O'Brien's prose. The short stories are arranged chronologically by
collection and alphabetically within each collection; the uncollected short stories are
arranged alphabetically. O'Brien's novels are arranged chronologically. The subseries
also contains nonfiction pieces. O'Briens essays and short nonfiction pieces are
arranged alphabetically and the book-length nonfiction is arranged chronologically. At
the end of this subseries are drafts of O'Briens writings for children. Of particular
note in this subseries is an early typescript of Girls in Their Married
Bliss with corrections and annotations by Ernest Gebler. Subseries 3.3
consists of manuscripts and typescripts of O'Brien's plays and screenplays. O'Brien's
published plays and screenplays are arranged chronologically, the others are arranged
alphabetically.